The Selection by Kiera Cass

Rating: Clean

Audience: Ninth grade and above. There is no sex in the book, but America (the protagonist and narrator) makes it clear that the only reason she and her secret boyfriend haven't gone that far is because it is illegal and if she became pregnant they would both be thrown in prison.

Plot: America Singer is in one of the lower castes in Illea (what used to be North America), and her greatest dilemma is trying to decide how to break it to her parents that she has been secretly dating a boy from a lower caste for the last two years.  But when both her family and her boyfriend encourage her to apply for "the Selection"--a televised contest where women from all over the nation are selected to compete for the hand of the Crown Prince--her world is turned upside down.

What makes it great?

Despite the fact that this plot has been pieced together from existing novels and reality TV, I really really enjoyed this book.

The obvious reason for this is that I just love the prince. Maybe if Prince Maxon was on "the Bachelor," I'd actually watch the show! Now, as with every good love triangle, you're allowed to pick your favorite, but Maxon is the obvious winner here! He's adorably awkward and you just can't help but love him.  

It's a light book, a "beach book," the kind you can read in a day and feel all giddy for a few days afterward. It is actually part of a trilogy, and I am really excited to read "The Elite" and "The One" as soon as I can get copies. 

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Rating: Cleanest

Audience: Fifth grade and up. Anyone who enjoys fairy tale adaptations will enjoy this book but I think it is geared toward middle school-aged girls, because it is actually kind of scary.

Plot: After their mother's death, Princess Azalea and her eleven younger sisters are forced into a year of mourning and solitude. They are not allowed to dance or leave their ancient castle home. Their father (whom they address as Sir and refer to as The King) insists that they keep to the rules, but Azalea decides that her sisters need to dance as a way of dealing with their grief. The princesses discover a secret passageway which leads to the silver pavilion of "the Keeper," who is both a dashing and sinister host.  However, as the year of mourning comes to an end, Azalea realizes that she has become entwined in the Keeper's secret world, and that the only way to escape with her family is to let him out as well. Now throw in some romance for the three eldest sisters, a war, an ancient blood-oath, dancing, politics, an enchanted silver tea set, and a father-daughter relationship in need a little work, and you've got a great read!

What makes it great?

My favorite part of the book was probably the relationship between The King and his daughters.  If you took out all the magic and the romance and the politics you'd still have a sweet story about a dad struggling to meet the needs of twelve crazy girls who just want their mother.  Of course, it's a lot more fun to read WITH all the magic and romance and politics, but Azalea's family is the heart of this story.

Also, I just started following Heather Dixon's blog and she is hilarious! She draws comics about her life that are WAY funnier than anything in the newspaper. Check it out for more info on her upcoming books.